


Unavoidable Reunion

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: flames_n_tats, F/M, Infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-10
Updated: 2009-04-10
Packaged: 2018-07-21 18:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7398910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Family gatherings are easy to avoid when you’re working abroad, but unfortunately for Charlie, not indefinitely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unavoidable Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Charlie Weasley/Fleur Delacour  
> Warnings: AU-ish. Infidelity. A bit of angst. Mention of off-screen consensual sex involving a 17-year-old.  
> Summary: Family gatherings are easy to avoid when you’re working abroad, but unfortunately for Charlie, not indefinitely.  
> Disclaimer: The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine. This was written for fun, not profit.
> 
> Written in 2009 for prompt #62 at the LJ Community flames_n_tats' National Charlie Month Fest. That prompt was: Charlie/Fleur, ‘a family gathering’, ‘my brother’s wife and me’.

I check the freshly cleaned living room one more time, inhaling the scent of beeswax and sweet spring flowers, and nod to myself. I’m quite pleased with my efforts, or as pleased as I can possibly be at a time like this. The prospect of the next couple of days is certainly nothing to rejoice about.

Just a few more hours before hell breaks loose.

It’s largely my own fault, though. There is no denying that. I really should have known better than to believe I could keep putting this off, avoid them indefinitely.

Of course, in theory, family gatherings are pretty easy to steer clear of when you live in another country and have a hazardous job that demands a lot of your time and yours alone because you’re the only one who knows how to handle the more precarious of the charges.

There aren’t many of us dragon tamers to begin with, you see, and very few would dare go near some of the fierce beauties in my care. No, I don’t mind admitting I’m pretty proud of that.

Still, my best strategies aside, I should have foreseen that Mum would come up with something eventually, a way to reunite us all, despite my ‘inconvenient’ job situation.

A month ago, she finally made plans, of the ‘like them or lump them’ variety. She decided the whole clan should come here instead, visit me for my birthday.

All of them.

Including him.

And her.

Fleur Weasley now, but still Fleur Delacour the first time we met.

Now, before I go on and tell you the rest of the story, you ought to know that this isn’t something I’d ever brag about; definitely not one of my finer moments, as they say.

In my defence, I was quite a bit younger then, though not as young as her, perhaps not even young enough to still use the folly of youth as a plausible excuse, but the point is, I still had a lot to learn back in those days, especially about women.

She was only seventeen at the time. Of age, yes, but only barely. She was gorgeous, and she wanted my help, needed it desperately.

You see, Beauxbatons’ Triwizard Champion had no idea how to handle the first task.

”I ‘ave no experience weet dragons.”

I wasn’t supposed to get involved. I was to stay neutral, keep my distance.

However, as I said, I was young and she seemed so lost and helpless, and I’d always been a sucker for women’s tears. Still am, actually.

Besides, I knew Ron had already let something slip to Harry, as he always did, rules be damned.

So I told her what to do, how to distract the dragon long enough to grab the egg, and with my advice, she got the job done. Not as well or as quickly as Harry Potter, but definitely to the judges’ satisfaction.

I watched in the audience, applauded along with everyone else, and when she walked past me later, she whispered: “Zank you; you weel be rewarded.”

I thought she meant those words in a metaphorical sense. You know, like that ‘Karma’ thing Muggles often talk about.

I never expected her to come and visit me in my room that night. I’m sure my jaw was on the floor when I opened the door and saw her standing there in that blue, almost transparent nightgown. She was breathtaking.

I couldn’t have resisted her had I wanted to.

Not that I had any reason to want to….

We were both free agents, as they say. I even asked, just to make sure, about that lad she was going to the Ball with. I didn’t want to help her break his heart; I wasn’t that sort of bloke.

“Roger Davees,” she informed me, “ees just a little boy. You are not.”

I couldn’t argue with that. I couldn’t even speak, with the way she was kissing me then.

The following morning, she left early, sneaked out before I had to get ready to return to Romania. There was some urgent business at the enclosure. Had there not been, I’m certain I would have stayed on and tried to get to know her better.

“We’ll meet again, mon cher,” she told me before she kissed me goodbye.

And we did.

The next time I saw her, years later, she was engaged to be married to my brother Bill.

I was very disappointed, though I suppose I had no reason to be, not after what had only been a one-night stand, but at least I didn’t have to ask after her reasons.

“I could nevair leeve amongst zose dragons, in ze woods, _comme une fille sauvage_.”

And that was that. She didn’t approve of my lifestyle. It would clash with hers.

“But one day, Charlie, you veel tire of ze dragons, non?”

I knew then as I know now: these dragons are my life. I wouldn’t trade them for anything, or anyone. Not even her.

Though, admittedly, I think about it sometimes and imagine what things might have been like, what they could probably still be like, if only…

Which brings us to why I avoid seeing my family these days. I’m not the jealous type, but it still hurts to see her with Bill. They seem quite happy together. They have a kid, too. A little girl called Victoire. She’s pretty and charming and when she’s older, no doubt she'll end up a true heartbreaker, just like her mother.

Lost in my ponderings, silently cursing my lousy luck, I almost jump at the shrill sound of the doorbell.

I head into the hallway, and open the door.

It’s her, large as life and smiling sweetly. I’m not surprised to find she hasn’t changed much. I suppose part-Veelas rarely do. Either way, she’s as gorgeous as ever in her green polka-dot dress and white sandals.

“Hello,” I say awkwardly, and look over her shoulder, hoping for a distraction.

There is none to be seen.

“Bonjour, Charlie,” she says, beaming me a dazzling smile. “Eet ‘as been a long time.”

“Hello, Fleur,” I reply as casually as I possibly can. “Where are the others?”

Rather than answer my question, she steps closer, puts her hands on my shoulders and then with incredible force, especially for such a small female, backs me into the wall behind me and kisses me. She tastes as sweet as I remember, even better, and for a moment there, I don’t think of rules or consequences.

But as soon as it has begun, it seems it’s already over. Abruptly, she lets go of me and before I can ask why, I spot the large blue car approaching in the distance.

I grin wryly. This was Dad’s idea, no doubt. Why use wizard means of transportation when a trip abroad provides you with so many opportunities to pretend being a Muggle?

I force a smile, and brace myself to greet the others.

Fleur briefly winks at me, before she saunters off to rejoin her husband and daughter.

I take a deep breath. It’s going to be a long, gruelling, absolute stinker of a week.


End file.
